Derrick Rose Says Heat are Bulls’ True Rivals Not Pacers

Prior to raining 32 points on the Indiana Pacers in a preaseason matchup, Derrick Rose dismissed any sort of rivalry with Indy. According to the Chicago Bulls’ superstar floor general, their only true rivals reside in South Beach. Per ESPN: “People say that it’s a rivalry, but I don’t really see it,’ Rose said before scoring 32 points in the team’s 103-98 win against the Pacers. ‘I say the team that is more like a rivalry is when Darren Collison was on the team. That one was more like a rivalry, but this team is a great team. They’ve already proven themselves last year by making it to the Eastern Conference finals. If anything, by probably in a year or two, it could become a rival. But right now, people say it’s a rival. … I just don’t see it right now.’ Rose and the Bulls defeated the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs in 2011. [...] Asked specifically if he felt the Heat were the Bulls’ biggest rival, Rose acknowledged that to be the case. ‘If you want say [that], yeah,’ he said. ‘For sure, Miami.’ For their part, the Pacers have repeatedly talked about the rivalry they feel they have developed with the Bulls over the years. ‘I think Chicago will always be a rival,’ Pacers forward Danny Granger said recently. ‘When you go to the United Center, it’s crazy. They have a big home-court advantage there. They have a huge following, not only locally in Chicago but nationally as well, and I think they’ll always be a rival to us. We’re really close, so a lot of times there’s a lot of Bulls fans here and vice versa. I think as long as we’re in the division, we’re going to be rivals.’”